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Saturday, November 16, 2013

If you like your curriculum . . .

“If you like your curriculum, you can keep your
curriculum.”

I saw that witty saying online, obviously a jab at the
Obamacare fiasco.It illustrates
beautifully the dangerous road we travel with the coming of Common Core.I think that this
is the original source of the quote, as I do not want to deny the one who
coined the phrase.

I’m not a fan of the Common Core. There should be universal
alarm at the fact that, amongst those who worked to develop the Common Core
Curriculum, only the bureaucrats have signed off on it; themathematician
and the language artsprofessionals
on the panels don’t like it.It’s my
guess that the lure of federal dollars attached to the adopting of the CC
outweighs common sense for school administrators, publicschools
and privateschoolsalike.

I am a home educator.While I could write in criticism of modern schooling practices, I am not
anti-school.I home educate for
pro-active reasons, not to shield my children from whatever goes on in the schools.

I have firm ideas about what an education should be, but
I’ve never been able to say it in a few short words.A few weeks back, I read a
good post by Amy Welborn (I’m a fan of her blog and her books!) in which
she summed up very well what I believe the best education should attempt:

So, yes, that’s
what I wanted. A way that’s sort of Classical – Montessori- Charlotte
Mason – Catholic – Unschooly Roamschool. There’s no such school around
here, not even close, not even half of that. So although Ireally didn’t want to, I took a look at
life, saw the space that was there, and sighed. If that’s what I wanted,
if that’s what I knew was the right thing, I guessed I’d just have to start
one.

IN MY HOUSE.

Yeah!What she
said! Classical – Montessori – Charlotte Mason
– Catholic – Unschooly Roamschool. Perfect! That’s me, except that part
about “I really didn’t want to,” as I
enjoy doing what I’m doing and have always wanted to home educate, and even wanted
to be home educated, although not
many were doing it when I was a kid.

I believe in a fairly rigorous academic framework, with
lots of unstructured time to explore personal interests that might be an
extension of what we are studying at the time, or might be something entirely
different.This is what I wish for all children.
That’s why I’m not anti-school: I’d start up my own school, if I had unlimited
capital.[And I believe that I’d earn
more societal respect for my efforts if I were doing for other people’s
children what I do for my own. It reminds me of GK Chesterton, “How can it be a
large career to tell other people's children about the Rule of Three, and a
small career to tell one's own children about the universe?"]

I think government involvement in the education process
has gotten a
lot of things wrong, under the administrations both political parties. There’s a push to have everyone receive a
college degree, which is only de-valuing the effect of such an endeavor, if
everyone is doing it. At the same time, overall standards
seem to be sliding.

In my education utopia, future auto mechanics should be
introduced to Shakespeare and future ballet dancers should do some math.Those with dreams of being a CPA should learn
home economics and future engineers should be exposed to Jane Austen.

However, I don’t believe that the college-bound should
have their academic preparation dumbed down with informational texts replacing
classical literature or with math instruction that includes credit for partially
correct answers. At the same time, I do not see the point of those who are
not mathematically- or scientifically-inclined being forced into taking four
years of high school math, as manyplacesaroundthenation
now require.Do dance majors, German
language majors, or poli sci majors really need calculus?

Does this seem I am contradicting myself? So which is it: do you want high standards
or do you want a less-rigorous curriculum for those who cannot handle the tough
stuff?Well, I don’t want a
one-size-fits-all education.I don’t
want the highly diversified population of the US compared with populations of a
more culturally homogenous nature, as teaching and learning work differently
based on those factors. I don’t want the bureaucrats, lobbyists, and special
interest groups in Washington, DC deciding the curriculum that is used by
children in yet another round of non-funded federal mandates.I don’t want a curriculum that is financedorinspired
by Bill Gates.Stick to computer
engineering, Bill, and lay off the social engineering!

Bottom line: haven’t we learned anything from the mess
that politicians have been making of this country?Both
Democrat and Republican!Look at the
lies we’ve been told about the ability to have choice over our health care
decisions.Kind of ironic that so many
school districts/systems are adhering to federal guidelines . . . while simultaneously
assuring everyone that they’ve only agreeing to standards, not adopting
curriculum (yet?).Given the way
that politicians play the low-information, sound bite society we live in, I
wouldn’t be at all surprised to hear some Department of Education or National
Education Association spokesman state boldly: if you like your curriculum, you
can keep your curriculum. Thanks, but we are doing just fine without your help, as it happens!